The Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast is celebrating its first birthday by interviewing Rachael Smith, creator of The Rabbit and the biographical comic Wired Up Wrong.

Rachael Smith’s debut graphic novel House Party came out in 2014 with Great Beast Comics to critical acclaim. The Rabbit, released by Avery Hill Publishing in 2015, was her second graphic novel and was nominated for Best Book in the British Comic Awards 2014/15.

Rachael, who lives in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, is also the creator of Flimsy the Kitten and One Good Thing. She currently works with Titan Comics on her monthly strip for the Doctor Who comic series, and is working on her new webcomic, Bess, which launched November 2015.

"Rachael has shown how creating an honest factual book can generate huge support as well as helping people along the way," says co-host Ian Loxam. "The power of comics is a wonderful thing. Rachael discusses these things as well as her early years."

The podcast team also review the latest Marvel movie Black Panther which they have differing opinions on, plus Guy DeLisle's Pyongyang A Journey In North Korea, which sees the Canadian author, who now lives in France, tell his story of working in the country.

"Shocking and odd are two of the many things you feel after reading this book," feels Ian.

Pete Taylor also continues his ongoing examination of Jack Kirby's work, this time out covering the artist's life between 1947 and 1954.

• Listen to the podcast here on the the Lakes International Comic Art Festival podcast website

• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival will be back in Kendal 12th - 14th October 2018 | A range of Early Bird Passes, available for a limited time only, are on sale now

• Web: www.comicartfestival.com | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Podcast 

• Find Rachael Smith online at www.rachaelsmith.org